Congratulations to Mr. Bob Hope on his Centennial Birthday.

Mr. Hope doesn’t make public appearances anymore, unfortunately. Indeed, one of his last was his lighting of the holiday lights at Disneyland Park a few years back.

Hope’s connection with Disney went back to Walt. Years after Disneyland Park opened, Hope recounted how, when the park was in development, Walt had asked him to buy property around the site, because Walt couldn’t afford to spend more and he’d rather someone like Hope oversee the surrounding property than someone he didn’t know. Hope declined, and later regretted the missed financial opportunity when Disneyland Park became a world-class destination.

Mr. Hope is an entertainment legend without equal.

Generations of military veterans remember the shows he gave when they were in combat zones. His appeal, however, has been broad. One of my sisters (a Gen-Xer) is a HUGE Hope fan, and we have loved watching his movies and his television specials.

He has endeared himself to the masses with his humor, and has left a trail of countless stories of personal encounters people have had with him where these “average Joes and Janes�? found him to be exceedingly friendly, personable, and accommodating, even giving impromptu performances. He was also known for his generosity, going so far as to back up his investment advice to acquaintances by giving them his own money to invest when they expressed their interest but also their lack of cash.

You can learn more about the work of Bob Hope by visiting just about any news site on the Web.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hope! Thanks for the memories!